Portable altar construction



Nov. 7, 1950 Filed D eC@ 23, 1947 EQ l. COHEN PORTABLE ALTAR CONSTRUCTION llGYOGCDCDOOOG aanbood 50ML/affare# Patented Nov. 7, .1950

lJNlTlaD'4 sf'r-ATESI PATENT" V2,529,002 k PORTABLE ALTAR coNstrRUcTioNv Emanuel I. Cohen, Philadelphia, Pa. Application December 23, 194.7, Serial No. 793,543

2 claims. (C1. 31a-'33) This invention relates to improvements i altar constructions and more particularly to a portable, foldable and collapsible altar whichv vention is a continuation-impart of my pendingu application Serial No. 753,563, filed June 9, 1947,

now Patent No. 2,522,210.

' In myprior application-the altar comprised a -front wall, with folding side walls, table and retable. ,It has been found desirable' to reduce the `size of thefolded altar to .even a greater extent than was taught in the' foregoingapplication, and such is accomplished in a novel manner in the presentY invention, in which the front wall of the altar is formed into foldable sections without detracting from its ornamental and dignified appearance.

For a more complete disclosure of the objects, construction and operation of this invention, reference is made to the accompanying specification and drawings which are descriptive and illustrative of a preferred form thereof, and in which Figure l is a perspective view of the altar as set up for worship.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the corner brace and hinge for the foldable front wall.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view along line 3-3 of Figure l, showing, in dotted lines, how the front and side walls are folded.

Figure 4 is a detail showing the manner of collapsing the retable.

Figure 5 is an end view showing the retable collapsed and folded against the underside of the table.

The altar comprises preferably a sheet metal construction, of light weight, such as aluminum, having a front wall divided into two sections I0, IUa, and having side walls or wings II, IIa, a

Atable I2, and a retable generally indicated by the reference character I3. The front and side Y walls may be trimmed to give a panelled effect which is particularly acceptable for religious purposes.

2 The side wallsI I, IIa are secured tothe front Wall and folded as described in my pending :application herein referred to and therefore ysuch description need not lbe duplicatedl here. f

The table I2 is fixed in position when-thel front and side walls are extended Vfor use by means of dowel pins 25 projeetingfrom the top of said Walls, which engage corresponding sockets onthe underside of the table top.

The retable I3 is a collapsible structure which is pivoted to the table I2 at the rear edge thereof by hinges 23, 23a. Said retable comprisesa frontv and rear section I3a, |313, respectively, hingedly connected togther at I3a and I 3b by Aa top section I3c. The three sections are rigidly joined together, when erected, by end walls or flaps I3d and I3e, which are hinged to the ends of the front wall I3a, and` fold inwardly with respect to said wall when collapsed, as best shown in Figure 4. v

When erected for use, the front and end walls of the retable are held in position against displacement outwardly by means of a short downwardly projecting skirt 22 which extends around the front and end walls of the top section I3c and is bent downwardly therefrom.

The front wall sections I0, Illa meet substantially along the line 2-,-2 as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. A corner angle I4, preferably of pressed metal construction, suitably braced by reinforcing webs Illa, extends the full length of each adjacent front wall section at their meeting edges and these corner angles are hinged together by a full length hinge member I1, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

When it is desired to collapse the altar, the retable is swung backwards over the table I2 and the top is removed from the front and side walls. The end flaps I3d, I3e of the retable are folded under the table top as shown in Figure fl. The front and side Walls of the supporting structure are then folded inwardly towards eachother, the braces 30 being pivoted at 3I, so as to fold for this purpose, as shown in Figure 3. Then the front wall section I0, with its infolded side wall II is swung inwardly on the hinge I1 to assume the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3.

As shown in Figure 3, the hinge I'I lies substantially opposite the hinge points 2 I, 2Ia (only one being shown), and when the structure is folded or collapsed, the side walls are folded inwardly against their respective front sections, and then the front sections are swung about pivot I'I against one another, so that when completely folded, the front sections and side walls lie substantially parallel to one another, thus forming a compact, substantially fiat package for ease Y of handling and portage.

`Pockets 20, to accommodate religious books, sacraments, or other paraphernalia of the professiommay be provided on the inner side walls. These may be of perforated sheet metal construction to lighten the weight thereof, or may be of any otherrsuitable material or construction and,

as shown,- do not interfere with the collapsible feature of the altar.

When erected for use, the crucifix or other em- -r blem which may be bolted to the front, one-half on each section thereof, serves to maintain said front wall sections fixed in alignment and prevents accidental shifting of either section about pivot Il, or with respect to one another. placing of the table with the dowels engaging substantially equal to said first predetermined distance, and compartment means carried by each of said side Walls and having a depth less than said predetermined distance whereby said compartment means may nest within respective front wall sections when said altar is folded.

2. A table top and retable combination for a portable and collapsible altar -`comprising a table having means for engaging the .fronti and side The.

their corresponding sockets lends further rigidityto the structure. 4 It will be understood that changesY in the 'design and construction of the invention may be vmade without departing from the spiritthereof as defined in the appended claims.

I Cim Y 3 1.. A-portable collapsible altar comprising a front wall consisting of two sections joined at Ytheir meeting edges by hinge means, the rotational axis of said hinge means being spaced a predetermined distance'from the plane of said sections, each of said sections having a free edge, a respective side wall pivotally joined at said free edge of each section onv an axis spaced from the plane of vsaid section a predetermined distance Number REFERENCES CITED rIhe'follow'ing references are offrecord in the file of `this patent:V

UNITED STATES PATENTS Y,

Date-1:

Name

168,879 Colbert Oct. 19, '1 875 175,308 Van Wie-f Mar. 28, v1876 347,308 A Waring Aug; 10, 1886 835,902 Damato Nv. 13, 1906 1,151,491/ Macdanel Aug, 24, 1915 1,278,568 BasileV Sept. 10, 1918 1,455,569 Caminoni May 15,1923 

